Stacked roofing washers assembly

ABSTRACT

A roofing washers assembly includes a plurality of stacked roofing washers and a positioning roofing washer is located at an end of the stacked roofing washers. An elongate flexible member extends through the central apertures of the stacked roofing washers and the positioning aperture of the positioning roofing washer. The diameter of the elongate flexible member is smaller than an inner diameter of the central apertures and larger than an inner diameter of the positioning aperture, so that a first end of the elongate flexible member is force-fitted with the positioning aperture and can be disengaged from the positioning aperture when the elongate flexible member is forcibly pulled from the second end thereof.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a stacked roofing washers assemblywherein only the last one washer is force-fitted with the elongateflexible member which can be forcibly disengaged from the last onewasher and easily pulled through the central apertures of the rest ofthe washers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional stacked roofing washers assembly is disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 5,163,580, and generally includes a plurality of roofingwashers which are collated by a flexible member extending throughrespective central apertures in the roofing washers. A formation such asa knot is formed at an end of the flexible member after the flexiblemember extends through the roofing washers so that the stacked roofingwashers can be hanged when pulled from the other end of the flexiblemember. The formation can be deformed if the flexible member is forciblypulled way from the stacked of roofing washers. The deformed knot is sodeformed that it is able to be forcibly pulled through the centralapertures. Nevertheless, the deformation of the formation cannot becontrolled and could be slightly too large to be pulled through thecentral apertures which are enlarged or damaged.

The present invention intends to provide a stacked roofing washersassembly wherein the elongate flexible member is smaller than thecentral apertures of the washers and is only force-fitted with the lastone washer. The elongate flexible member can be disengaged from the lastone washer and easily pulled through the central apertures of the restwashers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a roofing washers assembly whichcomprises a plurality of stacked roofing washers and each roofing washerhas a central aperture. A positioning roofing washer is located at anend of the stacked roofing washers and has a positioning aperture. Anelongate flexible member extends through the central apertures of thestacked roofing washers and a first end of the elongate flexible memberis force-fitted with the positioning aperture of the positioning roofingwasher. A diameter of the elongate flexible member is smaller than aninner diameter of the central apertures and larger than an innerdiameter of the positioning aperture. The first end of the elongateflexible member can be disengaged from the positioning aperture byforcibly pulling from the second end of the elongate flexible member.

The present invention will become more obvious from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswhich show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment inaccordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view to show the stacked roofing washers and theelongate flexible member of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows the elongate flexible member extends through the washers ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2-1 shows an enlarged cross sectional view of the first end of theelongate flexible member force-fitted with the positioning aperture ofthe positioning washer;

FIG. 3 shows the stacked roofing washers are put in the magazine of thedispenser and the elongate flexible member is to be pulled from thewashers;

FIG. 4 shows the stacked roofing washers are put in the magazine of thedispenser and the elongate flexible member is pulled from the washers;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view to show a second embodiment ofconnection of the elongate flexible member and the last one washer ofthe stacked roofing washers;

FIG. 6 shows a positioning piece is connected to the first end of theelongate flexible member that extends through the last one washer of thestacked roofing washers;

FIG. 7 shows that the positioning piece is made by a small piece ofglue;

FIG. 8 shows the positioning piece permits the stacked roofing washersto be hanged at a second end of the elongate flexible member;

FIG. 9 shows the positioning piece breaks into pieces when the userpulls from the second end of the elongate flexible member, and

FIGS. 10 to 13 show different shapes of the positioning apertures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, the roofing washers assembly of the presentinvention comprises a plurality of stacked roofing washers 10 and eachroofing washer 10 has a central aperture 12 defined therethrough. Apositioning roofing washer 101 is located at an end of the stackedroofing washers 10 and has a positioning aperture 11 defined through acenter thereof. An elongate flexible member 20 has a first end thereofextending through the central apertures 12 of the stacked roofingwashers 10 and the positioning aperture 11 of the positioning roofingwasher 101.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 2-1, a diameter of the elongate flexible member20 is smaller than an inner diameter of the central apertures 12 so thatthe elongate flexible member 20 can be pulled through the centralapertures 12 easily without too much friction. The diameter of theelongate flexible member 20 is larger than an inner diameter of thepositioning aperture 11 so that the first end of the elongate flexiblemember 20 is force-fitted with the positioning aperture 11. As shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, the stacked roofing washers 10 can be hanged by holding aring 21 on a second end of the elongate flexible member 20. Therefore,the user may hold the ring 21 and put the stacked roofing washers 10 inthe magazine 31 of the roofing washers dispenser 30. After the stackedroofing washers 10 are put in the magazine 31 of the roofing washersdispenser 30, the user forcibly pulls the elongate flexible member 20upward and the first end of the elongate flexible member 20 isdisengaged from the positioning aperture 11. The stacked roofing washers10 are then conveniently put in the magazine 31.

As shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, the positioning aperture 11 can be apolygonal aperture such as a triangle aperture, a rectangular aperture,a slit or any shape that is force-fitted to the first end of theelongate flexible member 20.

As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, another embodiment of the stacked roofingwashers assembly of the present invention a plurality of stacked roofingwashers 10 and each roofing washer 10 having a central aperture 12 and afirst end of an elongate flexible member 20 extends through the centralapertures 12 of the stacked roofing washers 10. A diameter of theelongate flexible member 20 is smaller than an inner diameter of thecentral apertures 12. The first end of the elongate flexible member 20extending through the central aperture 12 of the last one roofing washer10 of the stacked roofing washers assembly is connected to a positioningpiece 22 which is made by using a glue 32 as shown in FIG. 7. Thepositioning piece 22 is sized to be larger than the inner diameter ofthe central apertures 12 so that the user may hold holding a ring 21 ona second end of the elongate flexible member 20. The user holds the ring21 and put the stacked roofing washers 10 in the magazine of the roofingwashers dispenser 30. After the stacked roofing washers 10 are put inthe magazine, the user pulls the ring 21 away from the stacked roofingwashers 10, and the positioning piece 22 is separated from the first endof the elongate flexible member 20, so that the elongate flexible member20 can be easily pulled through the central apertures 12 of the roofingwashers 10. As shown in FIG. 9, the positioning piece 22 can be made tobreak into pieces when the elongate flexible member 20 is forciblypulled from the second end thereof.

While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with thepresent invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art thatfurther embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent invention.

1. A roofing washers assembly comprising: a plurality of stacked roofingwashers and each roofing washer having a central aperture, a positioningroofing washer located at an end of the stacked roofing washers andhaving a positioning aperture, and an elongate flexible member extendingthrough the central apertures of the stacked roofing washers and thepositioning aperture of the positioning roofing washer, a diameter ofthe elongate flexible member being smaller than an inner diameter of thecentral apertures and larger than an inner diameter of the positioningaperture, a first end of the elongate flexible member being force-fittedwith the positioning aperture and capable of disengaging from thepositioning aperture by forcibly pulling from a second end of theelongate flexible member.
 2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, whereina ring is connected to the second end of the elongate flexible member.3. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the positioning apertureis a polygonal aperture.
 4. A roofing washers assembly comprising: aplurality of stacked roofing washers and each roofing washer having acentral aperture; an elongate flexible member extending through thecentral apertures of the stacked roofing washers and a diameter of theelongate flexible member being smaller than an inner diameter of thecentral apertures, a first end of the elongate flexible member extendingthrough the central aperture of the roofing washer that is located at anend of the stacked roofing washers, and a positioning piece connected tothe first end of the elongate flexible member and being sized to belarger than the inner diameter of the central apertures, the positioningpiece being separated from the first end of the elongate flexible memberwhen a second end of the elongate flexible member is forcibly pulled. 5.The assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein a ring is connected to thesecond end of the elongate flexible member.
 6. The assembly as claimedin claim 4, wherein the positioning piece breaks into pieces when theelongate flexible member is forcibly pulled from the second end thereof.